Even without a runway, airlines set for take-off September 27, 2010 BAA’s Sir Nigel Rudd grabbed headlines last week by denouncing the ban on a third runway at Heathrow, claiming it would make the facility a “second-tier airport”. His comments followed an update from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that forecast a likely 2010 profit of $8.9bn for the global aviation industry – excepting Europe, [...]
BMI to start flights to Libya in December September 23, 2010 UK airline BMI is to launch a daily service from London to Tripoli from 1 December 2010, it said yesterday, in a possible sign of thawing UK/Libyan relations Until now British Airways was the only UK airline to operate a route to Libya, with flights to Tripoli beginning in1999. BMI will operate flights from?Heathrow with [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS September 23, 2010 LCCI The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry has appointed British Airways boss Willie Walsh as its new president following an election at its annual meeting on Wednesday night. Walsh, 48, will serve for two years, until after the 2012 Olympics in London. He has been chief executive of BA since October 2005, having also [...]
BA jumps last Iberia hurdle September 22, 2010 IBERIA has approved British Airways’ (BA) plan to tackle its £3.7bn pension deficit, removing the last remaining hurdle to their merger plans. The decision was made by Iberia’s board, which met yesterday to decide whether it should approve the proposals set out by BA chief executive Willie Walsh. Iberia’s decision means the merger plans, which [...]
Qantas chief says he’s not interested in a BA merger September 22, 2010 Australia’s Qantas Airways is not keen on reviving merger talks with British Airways and is instead focused on chasing organic growth in Asia, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said yesterday. British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh is keen on reopening merger talks with Qantas if the Australian carrier was interested. “Been there, done that,” Joyce [...]
Liverpool chiefs know nothing about football, blasts Benitez September 21, 2010 FORMER Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has launched a scathing attack on his previous employers, claiming they “understood nothing about football”. The Spaniard, right, had a strained relationship with American co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett before leaving the club in the summer after six years to join Inter Milan. Now Benitez has lifted the lid [...]
Unite to wage legal war on BA in courts September 20, 2010 TRADE union Unite is preparing to wage a legal war on British Airways (BA) as the fight between the two gets set to hit the courts once again. Unite is to launch a legal battle at the High Court this week over the removal of travel perks for up to 7,000 cabin crew who went [...]
Hicks’ Liverpool buyout hit by refinancing blow September 20, 2010 LIVERPOOL’S future is mired in uncertainty once again today after co-owner Tom Hicks’s attempt to refinance his debt and take full control of the club collapsed. GSO Capital Partners, the debt restructuring arm of private equity group Blackstone which had discussed loaning Hicks £280m, is thought to have walked away from talks with the American. [...]
Unite to clash with BMI in High Court September 19, 2010 BMI, the British carrier, is to come face to face with trade union Unite in the High Court today over a pay freeze dispute. Unite, which has also launched legal action against British Airways, is taking the BMI to court for a “breach of contract” over failure to increase pay for 3,000 BMI staff. The [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING September 16, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES VODAFONE BALKS AT BEING FORCED SELLER Vodafone’s chief executive has warned that he will not be “forced” into selling the UK group’s minority stakes in four mobile phone operators. Vittorio Colao insisted that the sale this month of Vodafone’s 3.2 per cent stake in China Mobile for £4.3bn ($6.7bn) was not done in [...]